The Denver skyline from our hotel window. The haze would be there all trip. A Dianne Lima photo.
August 13
We set off for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport at about noon in order to catch our 2:30 p.m. flight for Denver. I was particularly anxious about making this flight. Part of my anxiousness was my usual fear of flying. But, part of it had to do with the events of September 11th. This was our first flight since that tragic day. And, while I knew that there was an extremely small chance that any terrorist activity would occur on our flight, the mere possibility exacerbated by fear of flying. So, I was pretty much a mess by the time the plane took off. Fortunately, Dianne was her usual incredibly supportive self throughout the flight. We made it into Denver International Airport after an uneventful two hour flight. But, before the flight was over, I did have another passenger from across the aisle ask me, “Is this your first flight?” That should give you some indication of the panic on my face.
Having worked at an airport for the past year, I had a different level of appreciation for Denver International than I previously had for any airport. I noticed the size of the terminal, the wide open space around the airport (excellent for future growth plans), the variety of the concessions, and the layout of the facility. All of these observations led me to the conclusion that Denver International Airport is a truly remarkable facility. I know that its initial operational phase was less than optimal. But, it has evolved into the airport that its planners intended when it first opened. No wonder it has become one of Denver’s defining landmarks.
Of course, all this civic opulence doesn’t come cheap. We found that out when we rented a car. The Hertz desk in the terminal charged us an additional fee for a second driver: something we’ve never paid at any other rental car facility. Additionally, we also paid a Customer Facility Charge, which is dedicated to pay the debt on Denver International’s rental car facility. If we had taken the shuttle into town and rented a car in Denver, we would have avoided these charges.
We got through the terminal and took a shuttle bus to the Hertz facility. There, we picked up a shiny new silver Ford Mustang. Dianne could barely control her excitement as she got behind the wheel. She will never admit it, but she loves to drive powerful cars. So, the Mustang was the realization of a dream for her. She gunned the engine as we drove out of the facility and headed into Denver itself.
After about a 15 minute drive, we drove into the Radisson at Stapleton Plaza. This hotel use to be right next to Stapleton Airport when it was the airport serving Denver. With Stapleton’s closure, the Radisson is one of several hotels along Quebec Street that look something like abandoned orphans. I thought the forlorn appearance on the outside would be replicated inside. But, the interior was quite nice. It looked like we had made a good choice for hotel (I booked it along with the flight as a package deal). Our opinion changed once we got to our room. Having a room on the west side of the hotel’s top floor meant that the heat from both the afternoon sun and the hotel’s ten other floors all came together in our room. To call it stifling would be an understatement. We thought about asking for a room change, but decided to stick it out because cooler weather was forecast.
After changing clothes, we drove into downtown Denver, which was about 10 miles away. We made our way to the Rocky Mountain Diner. Lonely Planet had recommended this restaurant as having some of the best “Western” food in Denver. We’d have to agree. I had chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fresh vegetables for $8.99. Dianne had three tacos al carbon for $7.49. The portions were big and the service was great. No wonder it got such a good recommendation in Lonely Planet. I’d have to echo that recommendation.
After dinner, we decided to walk through downtown Denver. We strolled down the street to the 16th Street Mall. This pedestrian mall was the perfect place to walk off the big meals we had just eaten. There were the usual variety of chain stores and a nice mix of local stores. But, the mall’s best aspect was that it was very clean, and appeared to be very safe. There was just enough police presence to keep the peace, but not so much of a presence that one would have to wonder why so many police were needed. Strolling the mall proved to be a great way to relax after the flight and the meal.
Our walk on the mall complete, we headed back to our car. A short drive later, we were back in our hotel room. The temperature inside the room had decreased to tolerable. But, we still needed to sleep with the window open in the hopes that the cool air coming off the mountains would filter into our room. We retired early, which was a good thing. I had big plans for our next day…plans which I hadn’t shared with Dianne.
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